Author: David R. HutchinsonPublisher: SAGE PublicationsISBN: 1483389979Size: 13.25 MBFormat: PDF, MobiView: 4168Download
Great Groups is a practical and inspirational guide that serves as a foundational text to creating and leading groups. Designed primarily for the beginning group worker from any of the helping professions, the book also acts as a valuable resource for those with more group experience. Grounded in theory, but with a strong focus on practice and skill development, David R. Hutchinson strives to connect directly with the reader with his personal and engaging writing style and "learn by doing" approach. Following a hypothetical group from start to finish, with a plethora of examples and reflection exercises in each chapter, the book has a threefold purpose: to provide the reader with specific tools for creating, understanding, and leading effective groups; to help the reader consider the application of theory to practice; and to spur the reader to seriously consider making group work a cornerstone of his or her professional practice.

Author: Susan A. WheelanPublisher: SAGE PublicationsISBN: 1483390993Size: 34.59 MBFormat: PDF, DocsView: 3267Download
A practical guide for building and sustaining top-performing teams Based on the author’s many years of consulting experience with teams in the public and private sectors, Creating Effective Teams: A Guide for Members and Leaders describes why teams are important, how they function, and what makes them productive. Susan A. Wheelan covers in depth the four stages of a team—forming, storming, norming, and performing—clearly illustrating the developmental nature of teams and describing what happens in each stage. Separate chapters are devoted to the responsibilities of team leaders and team members. Problems that occur frequently in groups are highlighted, followed by what-you-can-do sections that offer specific advice. Real-life examples and questionnaires are used throughout the book, giving readers the opportunity for self-evaluation.

Author: Randy FujishinPublisher: Rowman & LittlefieldISBN: 1442222514Size: 41.77 MBFormat: PDF, ePubView: 693Download
This practical book gives students the fundamental knowledge and skills necessary to communicate more effectively and interact more productively in the small group setting. With the help of this book, any group member can learn the skills necessary to participate in and lead a task group in an effective, productive, and healthy manner. This third edition features all new sections on: · "The Power of Diversity" · "Critically Thinking About Yourself As A Communicator" · "Defensive vs. Supportive Climates" · "Ethical Communication" · "Time Management" · "Impromptu Speaking" · "The Spirit of Collaboration" As well as new end chapter exercises in several chapters focusing on Online Resources and Social Media.

Author: Ed StetzerPublisher: B&H Publishing GroupISBN: 143368330XSize: 20.31 MBFormat: PDFView: 5305Download
God declared through the Apostle Paul that the church would be a place of transformation. In 2 Corinthians 5:17 we find, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come. Despite this, the church seems increasingly to be a place where transformation fails to occur. Surveying the landscape, however, there are some bright spots where churches are faithfully producing transformed disciples. Furthermore, as shown in Scripture and supported by new research, God designed such transformation to often happen in the context of smaller groups of people. But what characteristics are true of churches that are making transformed disciples through group-based ministry-whether small groups, missional communities, Sunday school, or some other expression of groups? In Transformational Groups, Ed Stetzer and Eric Geiger have created a new scorecard that will provide a map to transformational success for your church's groups ministry. Using data from the largest survey of pastors and laypersons ever done on the condition of groups in the church, they define a simple process to lead your groups from where they are to where God wants them to be.

Author: Randy FujishinPublisher: Rowman & LittlefieldISBN: 9780742553422Size: 50.33 MBFormat: PDF, MobiView: 1963Download
Provides an introduction to the study of small group communication, group decision-making, group problem solving, group dynamics, leadership, and team building. This book gives students the knowledge and skills necessary to communicate effectively in the small group setting. It includes sections on reducing speaking anxiety, exercises, and more.

Author: Henry CloudPublisher: ZondervanISBN: 0310859409Size: 28.65 MBFormat: PDFView: 2884Download
Lead small groups through astounding growth with principles from the best-selling books How People Grow and Boundaries.No matter what need brings a group of people together—from marriage enrichment to divorce recovery, from grief recovery to spiritual formation—members are part of a small group because they want to grow. This book by psychologists Henry Cloud and John Townsend provides small-group leaders with valuable guidance and information on how they can help their groups to grow spiritually, emotionally, and relationally. With insights from their best-selling book How People Grow, Cloud and Townsend show how God’s plan for growth is made up of three key elements: grace plus truth plus time. When groups embrace those elements, they find God’s grace and forgiveness and learn how to handle their imperfections without shame as they model God’s love and support to one another.In addition to describing what makes small groups work, Leading Small Groups That Help People Grow explains the roles and responsibilities of both leaders and group members. Employing tenets from the book How People Grow, this book equips leaders to understand the ins and outs of how to promote growth, and using principles from their best-selling book Boundaries, they show how to identify and find solutions for common problems such as boredom, noncompliance, passivity, aggression, narcissism, spiritualization, over-neediness, over-giving, and nonstop talking.

Author: Dale HunterPublisher: John Wiley & SonsISBN: 0470467924Size: 28.92 MBFormat: PDF, ePub, MobiView: 3275Download
Praise for the Revised Edition of The Art of Facilitation "The Art of Facilitation picks up where most other books stop. It describes a whole new array of process tools in a totally accessible way. It delves into the underlying ethics of facilitation to clarify complex questions. This book is also beautifully written. After many years in the profession, I was surprised at the subtle way it helped me gain a new understanding of a number of important facilitation dilemmas. A very insightful contribution to the field!" —Ingrid Bens, M.Ed., facilitation tutor, Sarasota, Florida, and author of Facilitating with Ease, Advanced Facilitation Strategies, and Facilitating to Lead "Few books attempt such a broad scope and enriching view of group facilitation. Hunter provides a 'philosophy' of group facilitation, mixed with 'how to.' This is an impressive book, integrating a sincere concern for the reader's personal development." —Sandy Schuman, editor of The IAF Handbook of Group Facilitation "Dale Hunter is a giant among practitioners, one of the pioneers in the field, and The Art of Facilitation is a classic. This book distills Dale's years of experience into straightforward, practical advice. Her wisdom comes through in every chapter." —Sam Kaner, Ph.D., author of the international bestseller, Facilitator's Guide to Participatory Decision-Making "In The Art of Facilitation, Dale Hunter treats readers to an exploration of the field of facilitation at the same time she presents her unique approach. Throughout the book, in simple language, Hunter offers a powerful and important message—to facilitate others effectively you must facilitate yourself. Take Hunter's advice and your clients will thank you." —Roger Schwarz, author of The Skilled Facilitator and coauthor of The Skilled Facilitator Fieldbook

Author: Arnie LundPublisher: ElsevierISBN: 9780123854971Size: 34.35 MBFormat: PDF, ePub, DocsView: 2686Download
User Experience Management: Essential Skills for Leading Effective UX Teams deals with specific issues associated with managing diverse user experience (UX) skills, often in corporations with a largely engineering culture. Part memoir and part handbook, it explains what it means to lead a UX team and examines the management issues of hiring, inheriting, terminating, layoffs, interviewing and candidacy, and downsizing. The book offers guidance on building and creating a UX team, as well as equipping and focusing the team. It also considers ways of nurturing the team, from coaching and performance reviews to conflict management and creating work-life balance. Furthermore, it discusses the essential skills needed in leading an effective team and developing a communication plan. This book will be valuable to new managers and leaders, more experienced managers, and anyone who is leading or managing UX groups or who is interested in assuming a leadership role in the future. *Gives a UX leadership boot-camp from putting together a winning team, to giving them a driving focus, to acting as their spokesman, to handling difficult situations *Full of practical advice and experiences for managers and leaders in virtually any area of the user experience field *Contains best practices, real-world stories, and insights from UX leaders at IBM, Microsoft, SAP, and many more!

Author: Bill SearchPublisher: Baker BooksISBN: 9781585589395Size: 72.32 MBFormat: PDF, MobiView: 3520Download
Over the past two decades, small groups have gone from spontaneous gatherings among friends to a major and elaborate phenomenon in the church. Many evangelical churches have some form of small groups ministry in place. But there's just one problem, says Bill Search--what started as a simple get-together has become a complicated process, especially for small group leaders. They are often not sure what is expected of them or what to expect from their groups as a result of their efforts. In Simple Small Groups, Search lays out the three C's of small groups--connecting, changing, and cultivating. This paradigm helps to simplify leading small groups in a way that is helpful, rewarding, and life changing. Unlike many other books geared toward small group leaders, Simple Small Groups does not require a church-wide adoption of an intricately designed system of assimilation, making it useful to any small group leader looking for guidance.

Author: Andy StanleyPublisher: MultnomahISBN: 9780307563637Size: 46.13 MBFormat: PDF, ePub, MobiView: 3518Download
Five keys to building a small group culture that fosters meaningful, lasting connections within your church community. Small groups are the key to impacting lives in your church. But a healthy small-group environment doesn’t just happen. So pull up a chair. Let’s talk about how to make it happen. Bill Willits and bestselling author Andy Stanley share their successful approach, which has resulted in nearly eight thousand adults becoming involved in small groups at North Point Community Church in Atlanta. Simply put, the five principles have passed the test. This is not just another book about community; this is a book about strategy—strategy that builds a small group culture. Creating Community shares clear and simple principles to help people connect into meaningful relationships. The kind that God desires for each of us and that He uses to change our lives. Put this proven method to work in your ministry and enjoy the tangible results—God’s people doing life TOGETHER. “The small-group program at North Point Community Church is not an appendage; it is not a program we tacked on to an existing structure. It is part of our lifestyle. We think groups. We organize groups. We are driven by groups. Creating Community contains our blueprint for success. And I believe it has the potential power to revolutionize your own small-group ministry!” — Andy Stanley